The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for producing comestibles using pressure baking. The method and apparatus are particularly well suited for producing toaster stable comestibles which may be frozen or which may be formulated to include an extended shelf life.
Food products which may be prepared by heating in a toaster have become increasingly popular for reasons including convenience and swift preparation in a fast paced society. Products which are currently produced and designed for re-heating in a toaster include sliced bread, pancakes, french toast and waffles. Unfortunately, however, most other variations of baked products are not well suited for re-heating in a toaster. These products include, but are not limited to, cookies, muffins, most cakes and biscuits. Cookies when re-heated in a toaster will often lose structure, fall apart, and often create a fire hazard. Muffins, though certain types are sliced and toasted, are not designed for optimum toasting in an upright toaster. Most cakes, with the exception of very heavy cakes like a pound cake, cannot produce slices that have appropriate physical integrity. That is, cake slices that are thin enough for upright toasting have a tendency to fall apart in the toaster. Biscuits, if made thin enough, can be reheated in a toaster, but are not designed for easy removal and/or optimum taste characteristics. Moreover, biscuits readily become too dry when prepared in an upright toaster. Also, in an upright toaster, fillings and coatings can be problematic, particularly if they come in contact with the heating grid surface.
In an attempt to provide a broader base of baked goods suitable for re-heating in a toaster, shelf stable and frozen toaster pastries have been developed. Shelf stable toaster pastries include a low moisture pastry surrounding a relatively small amount of low moisture filling. Toppings have been designed for shelf stable pastries that are based on very low moisture starch/sugar suspensions that will not rub off on the heated toaster grating. Shelf stable toaster pastries definitely fill a need in terms of convenience and provide excellent physical integrity in the toasting process, but it is submitted that these products are not particularly appealing when compared with fresh baked goods.
Frozen toaster pastries, on the other hand, are excellent formulations of a toaster stable formula and include a more traditional pastry shell with superior eating properties as compared with the shelf stable products. Unfortunately, however, fillings for frozen toaster pastries are limited in nature to what is appropriate within a pastry shell. Moreover, the process required to make frozen toaster pastries is quite specialized. Even with the availability of shelf stable and frozen toaster pastries, a very limited variety of toaster friendly products are currently available in view of the popularity and demand for such products in the consumer marketplace.
In general, it is submitted that current baking processes do not provide for a broad line of products which may be safely and conveniently heated in an upright toaster. The present invention, in contrast, provides a highly advantageous method and associated apparatus which is capable of producing a wide array of products which are inherently suitable for re-heating in an upright toaster.
A method of producing a comestible and associated apparatus are disclosed. In accordance with the present invention, a baking mixture is prepared having a moisture content. A mold arrangement is then provided having a mold cavity which is sealable from ambient pressure. The baking mixture is placed in the mold cavity and the mold cavity is then sealed. Thereafter, the mold arrangement is heated with the baking mixture sealed therein such that pressure in the mold cavity rises above ambient pressure and a substantial portion of the moisture content in the baking mixture remains in the mold cavity as the baking mixture heats to form the comestible.
In one aspect of the invention, the baking mixture is formulated to have a density which is approximately equal to the desired density of the comestible to be produced. Thereafter, the mold cavity of the mold arrangement is substantially filled with the density controlled baking mixture. Baking is performed under pressure such that the density controlled baking mixture is not permitted to expand significantly and the moisture content of the density controlled baking mixture is substantially retained thereby producing a comestible having substantially the same density and moisture content as the density controlled baking mixture.
In another aspect of the invention, a baked food product including a filling is surrounded by a baked layer. The improvement comprises an edible encapsulant layer substantially surrounding the filling and disposed between the filling and the baked layer. The encapsulant layer is intended to which maintain separation between the filling and the surrounding baked layer during initial baking and during subsequent storage and re-heating. In one feature, the encapsulant layer is formed of a protein encapsulated starch. In another feature, the filling and surrounding encapsulant layer form a core pocket which is then covered by an outer baking layer. The core pocket may be produced and stored under either refrigeration or frozen prior to incorporation in a pre-baked product for baking.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a baking mixture is prepared including at least one leavening agent provided in a predetermined amount. The baking mixture is then baked in a way which limits expansion of the baking mixture to establish a baked density of the baked comestible and such that the predetermined amount of the leavening agent is sufficient to limit the time required for baking the baked comestible. In one feature, the predetermined amount of leavening agent is determined based on the leavening agent imparting an undesirable taste characteristic to the baked mixture. In another feature, the predetermined amount of leavening agent is substantially greater than a minimum amount of the leavening agent capable of producing the baked density.
In still another aspect of the invention, a leavening agent is present in a predetermined amount sufficiently uniformly distributed throughout a baking mixture at least forming a portion of the baked food product such that the predetermined amount of said leavening agent in the baking mixture is substantially greater than a minimum amount of the leavening agent capable of producing a baked density by causing the baked product to fill the mold cavity. The portion of leavening agent above the minimum amount contributes pressure which forces a portion of the baking mixture against the interior wall of the mold arrangement to form the portion of the baking mixture into a substantially de-aerated crust which surrounds a core portion of the baked food product whereby the substantially de-aerated crust serves to substantially maintain the baked outline of the baked food product when the product is re-heated, even if re-heated from an unfrozen state. In one feature, the core pocket of the present invention, including a filling surrounded by the foregoing encapsulant layer, may itself be surrounded by an outer baked layer including the enhanced substantially de-aerated crust of the present invention.